Almost a year ago I started to develop floaters. Sometimes I see a lot of them sometimes I dont notice them at all. After that, my vision started to do weird things. I dont get flashes per se, but I kind of equate what I see to when you're cooking on a grill and it's so hot that if you look just above the grill, everything in the distance looks a little distorted, but it's constantly moving. Sometimes when I am in a lot of sunlight (I notice this mostly when I am driving), if I focus on a point in the distance, it starts to look like it's swirling around that point. In addition, sometimes if I wake up suddenly from being asleep (alarm, etc.) and look around, it will be 10 times as worse and sometimes willl kind of "throb" in and out before settling down. I live in Florida but I just spent several months up north. The problem did not seem to be as bad (at least not as noticeable) when I was up north (or maybe it just wasn't as sunny so I didn't notice it as much?). But now that I am back down here, it has gotten worse again.

Some more information - I had my eyes checked twice for this problem. Once when I started to get a lot of floaters, and once when the weird swirly flashy stuff started to happen, and both times the optometrists said everything looked fine with my eyes.

Hey, i see some of the same things and other weird phenomena. I, too, have been to many doctors (2 optometrists, 2 opthamologists) to find nothing wrong with my eyes. I believe (this is my opinion - non-medical - after several months of this crap, with no problems detected with my eyes), that there is something that has 'turned on' to allow me to see all this weird 'normal' phenomena of the eye - floaters, afterimages, entopic phenomenon, etc. It can be very distracting, but I find if I am fully engrossed in something (reading or social activities or movies), I see very little weird stuff. The swirling you see, I think, is the entopic phenomenon. It is the ability to see your white blood cells moving about very fast in the blood vessels that lay in front of the retina. It is weird that the human eye is designed this way, but the blood vessels from the optic nerve branch out in FRONT of the retina and cast shadows on your retina. NOrmal folk tune this out. The brain SHOULD tune this out, but very perceptic people see it, often freaking out and running to the dr. NOw, depending on how you described it to them, they may not know what you are talking about, but, if you really try to focus, sometimes, I can see perfect little circles marching in a distintive path (blood vessel). If I defocus, I see it as a swirling, circular effect that can make you dizzy. I am finding more and more people becoming 'aware' of weird, yet deemed 'normal' phenomena of the eye. I don't know if it is something 'wrong' with our brains, or we are just very hypersensitive. I know mine started with anxiety and hypochondria. When I noticed floaters, I FOCUSED on my vision and now I see more and more weird
stuff. Doctors tell me my eyes look perfect (and I'm only 30) and I am hypersensitive, so I try no to worry, but it is scary. Sorry, I am rambling, but I think you are okay. Have you had any anxiety problems? I am finding a lot of folks that see this weird stuff also have anxiety problems. Of course, seeing weird stuff can cause anxiety, but I know my anxiety came first and then the visuals. I don't know, this is just a theory of mine as I can find no organic cause for these things I see. I'd definitely go see an opthamologist (MD, not optometrist) to discuss your concerns. I bet everything checks out fine.

Good luck!

The Following 2 Users Say Thank You to Stella13 For This Useful Post:
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The eye is so sensitive. The vitreous fluid in our eye can cause so many things! I had purple shimmerings, I get that "throbbing" when I open my eyes in the morning, I get rolling balls of light that will stay in my eye up to 7 seconds, I'll get things that look like a ceiling fan spinning in my peripheral vision, I have a "blank" spot, I have a HUGE stationery floater covering half my vision in my right eye that appears BLACK outside... I used to get a bright strobe light effect when I'd close my eyes at night - you name it, I've had it! But nothing was ever wrong.

sunlover, the fans in the peripheral vision also describe what I see. I also get that "strobe light" effect but it's only sometimes that bad.

Stella13, I have had anxiety problems. Now that you mention it, you know how when you go to the optometrist and they shine the light in the eye an you can see the blood vessels in the retina, well sometimes I can see that as part of the "throbbing" occasionally at night when I'm laying down to go to bed.

I have floaters in both eyes, flashes of white light, rolling balls of white, when It is dark they are dark.

In both eyes I have on separate time I have had like 5 minutes of flashes of a color. I seen this with my eyes opened or closed. I went to eye doctor eyes ok. He said with viteous floaters this happens till the viteous dries up.

That was bad enough but last night after closing my eyes for a minute I could see some color lights.

A week ago I got up fast out of bed looked at the kitchen light I could see my round of my eye in color that was bright but fladed in a minute

I answered this in your other post - but since it's here too I want to add something.
When you looked at the kitchen light then closed your eyes, do you mean that the whole eye filled with light? I get that in the morning! however it's a white light, not colored at that point. (the color is like I mentioned in my other post, just a small spot)
but if I turn on the light in the morning, then close my eye, the entire eye fills with light - this has been going on since I got the vitreous detachment last April. Used to scare me so bad, now I don't even care.

To Sunlover. I got my first floater Feb 2000 in left eye. A year later I got floater in right eye. Soon after that I got vitreous detachment in both eyes. Flashes of white lights In the dark seen in the corner of both eyes, and the flashes have not gone away.

6 Monthe ago In both eyes a month apart I seen flashes of colored light( like the color were attacting me) something like you would see when you look up at fireworks that lasted about 5 minutes I could see with my eyes opened or closed. Both times that happened I was just sitting watching tv.

When I looked at the light I seen like a egg shape filled with color. I closed my eye I could see all black with this egg shape that slowly faded in seconds.I just do not no what is next.

Sounds like your vitreous is all messed up like mine. Think of the vitreous as a prism, anything can happen - that's how I come to think of it now. Light is entering, getting scattered, warped, colored, flickering, etc! As long as you've been checked and told everything is fine, I'd just try believe that. The doctor can only see the floaters and the vitreous pulled up off the retina a bit, he can't tell what kinds of things people are actually seeing. I know that it gets frustrating when trying to look things up on the internet and you come up with nothing at all. That's why I like these boards, real peope have same problems that aren't mentioned anywhere else, and you'll find that some of these "weird" problems are quite common.

Sunlover after reading your replies I can't tell you how much better I feel. I was getting scared to close or even open my eyes. I also have Tinnitus I guess I am a real head case.

My floater in left eye was the worst. It was black and seem to stay in the some spot now it is a real light gray and moves back to corner of my eye. I just know your one floater that covers your one eye will do the same.

Well your welcome Bennie... I can't tell you how I freaked out over my eyes in the past (I'm getting used to everything now!) so don't feel bad about getitng all nervous, it IS scarey when all weird things start happening and you can't find anyone to relate! When I had a purple floater the doctor had no idea what it was, then I came on these boards (2002) and found several who had it and what it was!

Almost a year ago I started to develop floaters. Sometimes I see a lot of them sometimes I dont notice them at all. After that, my vision started to do weird things. I dont get flashes per se, but I kind of equate what I see to when you're cooking on a grill and it's so hot that if you look just above the grill, everything in the distance looks a little distorted, but it's constantly moving. Sometimes when I am in a lot of sunlight (I notice this mostly when I am driving), if I focus on a point in the distance, it starts to look like it's swirling around that point. In addition, sometimes if I wake up suddenly from being asleep (alarm, etc.) and look around, it will be 10 times as worse and sometimes willl kind of "throb" in and out before settling down. I live in Florida but I just spent several months up north. The problem did not seem to be as bad (at least not as noticeable) when I was up north (or maybe it just wasn't as sunny so I didn't notice it as much?). But now that I am back down here, it has gotten worse again.

Some more information - I had my eyes checked twice for this problem. Once when I started to get a lot of floaters, and once when the weird swirly flashy stuff started to happen, and both times the optometrists said everything looked fine with my eyes.

Does anybody have this problem or have a clue to what it might be?

,
Hi,
you just told my story! I have the exact same thing and it drives me crazy. I't's definately worse in the sunlight. I went to the eye doctor for the first time ever last week. I have 20/20 vision, at least on that day I did. Somedays are better than other's. She said usually when someone gets floaters & flashes it's an indicator of retinal detachment which scared me too death. Turns out they were fine and she couldnt explain why I would have them. She also said that you normally get them in one eye and a few months later the other. I got mine in both at the same time. I have also been through some ms testing .I have a lot of symptons but so far everything has been negative. I am very frustrated at this point. I am learning more about what other things cause floaters and when I know more I will let you know,
Good Luck!

Skittles, I think I have EXACTLY what you describe with the "swirling". I started a thread titled "floaters?" how I described them wasnt the same as you but they are very hard to describe!
The first time I noticed them was when I was a child and was looking up at the sky, Ive had them every since. I dont get them everyday but just about.
I have also had eye exams and everything is fine.
I agree with stella's post. I believe anxiety plays a MAJOR roll in this. I have bad anxiety. I also get ocular migraines.

Oh my god. I feel so much better reading this now. Im 25/m and have had pretty bad floaters since I was 10. As a matter of fact, remember at Elementary school they would do lice checks, hearing tests and vision tests?? I would always fail the vision because they would see my floaters looking in my eye with that machine and bright light!! LOL Anyways, Ive always had strange phenomina like flashing balls of light in my vision, sometimes a bright star will develop and get bright and then fade, it will take about 5-30 seconds. ALWAYS when I go to bed, my vision strobe lights or big purple blobs come and dissipate and start all over again. Not particulary disturbing, actually sometimes it helps me to get to sleep faster.
Ive had an MRI and been to 2 eye doctors, my vision is perfect. However, one eye doctor wanted to perform laser surgery on my floaters. I said dont fix it if it aint broken (meaning i can see fine, leave it alone!) lol
Does anybody sometimes see a whole bunch of "shooting stars" once in a while?? Sometimes I get that and it freaks me out.